I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 when I was 16 years old. I’m now 37 and can finally say that I’m stable.

The last 21 years have been a rollercoaster. For a very long time I used drugs, alcohol and even cutting to self-medicate. All I wanted to feel was happy, but nothing seemed to get me there. I had tried one medication after another. I never gave them much of a chance though and with all the drugs and alcohol I was doing they couldn’t do much for me. The result of all that was many years spent in darkness and not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. There were many days that I didn’t even want to live.

Let’s fast forward to today. Life has done a 360. I’m clean, sober and medicated with the proper medication. Getting to this point has taken a lot of work. I’ve been consistent with seeing a therapist for the last 6 years and a gal who manages my medication. I’ve always been told that I’m tenacious and I’ve used that tenacity to get to where I am. It’s taken not only a lot of determination on my end, but the unconditional love and support of my family and friends. I couldn’t and can’t do this alone.

There really is light at the end of the tunnel and happiness does exist. We just have to keep moving forward.